Radiator-valve.



E. L. DAVIS.

RADIATOR VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5| I9l5' Patented J an. 30, 1917.

EDWARD L. DAVIS, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK.

RADIATOR-VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 34 191?.

Application filed June 5, 1915. Serial Ho. 82,359.

Y To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD L. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, in the county of Schenectady and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ha diator-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a radiator valve for one pipe steam heating systems, by which radiators of the usual type may be supplied with steam, in any graduations within the range of supply, without causing an upbuilding or retention of the water of condensation therein.

It is an important object to have a supply valve which may be located at the base of a radiator and so constructed that steam may be admitted thereto, in any quantity, in one direction, and the water of condensation returned in an opposite direction without producing any conflict in the opposing currents.

Some of the objections to one pipe steam heating systems are:

(1) That there is no possibility of unit regulation, the supply valves must be either fully open or tightly closed and radiators either entirely heated or cold.

(2) Whenever the supply valve is closed in such a system the water of condensation is retained in the radiator and when the valve is again opened the passing out of the accumulated water and the incoming rush of steam gives rise to an objectionable snapping and pounding, termed water hammer, which continues until the return has been completed.

(3) A leaky valve seat disk or a failure to close the valve tightly, when it is desired to shut off the heat, will always occasion an accumulation of water, flooding the radiator, and at times, forcing the water through the air valve to the detriment of floors and furnishings. During a retention or accumulation of water in radiators, there maybe drawn such a perceptible amount of water from the boiler as to cause its replenishment by the attendant and when the impounded water is again released into the system it may be in such quantity as to produce a general disarrangement of heating functions.

t) Whenever an upbuilding of condensation occurs it may be of such extent as to reach the air valves. and if they do not leak, they are prematurely and occasionally permanently sealed, in which latter event, they I outflowing water of condensation and it must present no friction to the opposing currents. By reason of this double duty required of its single port, the structural formation of the conventional supply valve does not permit it to be restricted to less than its maximum capacity, it having been found in prac ties that any attempt to abridge its port dimension between the extremes of wide open and closed conditions causes an upbuilding of condensation With consequent impairment of service and eiiiciency.

The objections enumerated are entirely the fault in the design of the type. When, over half a century ago, steam came in vogue as a heating medium, the ordinary valve of the engine room was employed, as nothing else was available, and there has been no material change in its form and but very little improvement in detail since its inception. To meet the requirements of low pressure steam heating installation, wherein the dual functions of supply and return are confined to a single fitting, it was necessary that a form of construction be designed differing materially from that of the conventional type, one that would ad ust itself to the varying conditions of thermal demand, that did. not take some considerable interval of time nor an excessive amount of strength to manipulate and that would permit of graduating the supply and thus modulating the heat as desired. All these conditions have been fully met by my invention.

"With my valve herein presented it has been demonstrated that certain valuable functions not possible with the customary valve employed in one pipe systems, are accomplished, due largely to the provision made for taking care of the water of condensation through all the stages of regulation. For one thing it can be of smaller dimension than the conventional type, and it can be regulated to supply steam in any graduation, thereby furnishing any amount of heat within the range of the radiator superiice. Vhen closed there is no retention of the water of condensation, which is permitted to continually drain away, hence no obstruction is offered to the positive circulation of the elements within the system pipin This beand ordinates of graduation, Fig. 3 is a vertical section onv the line A.A, of Fig. 2, Flg. 4 1s a vertlcal section on the l ne E-B of F 1g. 1. Fig. 5 1s a perspective new of the arm, clapper and check valve assembly.

There is illustrated a valve comprising a casing 10, in form somewhat like an ordinary pipe fitting or elbow, and of approximately the same size as such a fitting for pipe of the size to be connected to the valve. It is also possible to embody the invention in a plain cylindrical coupling, and in a T fitting as will be understood from the disclosure herein. This casing has an interiorly threaded inlet end 11 for connection to the source of supply, and an exteriorly threaded outlet 12 disposed at right angles to the inlet end for connection to the radiator. A union connection of a familiar kind is shown engaged therewith including a nut 13 by which the tail piece 1 1: is held to a suitable seat against the end of the outlet, the abutting parts being suitably ground for the purpose. The terminals of the casing may of course be fitted for various forms of connections other than as shown. The casing is formed with an ample bilge 15 at the outer curved part, and immediately at the base of the outlet is formed with an enlargement 16 extending upwardly and having thickened walls 17 at the sides. One

wall is bored through as at 1.8 and provided with a conical seat 19 at the outer side.v

around the bore, whilea concentric circular bearing socket 20 1s formed on the mner side of the opposite wall. Engaged snugly and revolubly in the bore 18 there is an arbor 21 having an intermediate squared portion 22 extending across the space between the walls, the inner end of the arbor being tenoned and engaged in the socket-20 but stopping short of the inner end thereof. The outer end of the arbor is enlarged and fitted to the seat 19, one arm 23 of a U- shaped handle yoke 24.- being engaged therearound and pinned, while the other arm of the yoke lies close beside the opposite side of the casing extension. A conical pointed screw stud 2-5 is threaded in that arm, and its point engaged in a suitable recess in the side of the casing. By means of this screw the arbor is held properly on its axis the enlarged partheld to a snug bearing on the On the, squared part of the arbor there is engaged an arm 28 having a branched outer.

part providing parallel rectilinear arms 29.

A clapper 30 is mounted on these arms at the side next to the outlet, the casing being formed with a circular port 31 having a seat 82 below the arbor, the opposed surfaces of the clapper and seat being suitably finished for a steam tight fit. The port 31 is smaller tliamand eccentric to, the outlet, and the inner surfaces of each coincide at the bottom. The seat of the port is nearly or quite in line with the inner side of the inlet passage of the casin The clapper is attached to the branches of the arm 28 by means of two lugs 8 formed thereon adjacent each side slightly above a horizontal diametrical line through the clapper, a pin 55 being engaged through the lugs and arm 29,. which extend a distance below the point or" connection and lie in close spaced relation to the valve so as to limit its movement properly; The clapper is formed in its lower half with an extension 36 having a conduit 37 therethrough which is smoothly bored, the outlet 38 of the same being milled with a sharp edge for engaging with the splayed disk of check flap 39 formed with an ear 10 hung on the pin 35 between the lugs 3-1:. The check flap 39 is peripherally beveled and hung perpendicularly over the outlet 38 so that it will easily open under the slightest head of Water of condensation and automaticallyclose by gravity after pressure has been removed from its, inner face,

upbuilding of condensation and if no means i for relief were provided the accumulation would flood the radiator, but with my improved construction, as soon as a slight accumulation has formed, the head or weight of the water overcomes the weight of the check flap 39 which opens and permits the water to. return to the source of supply without disturbing the incoming flow of steam. In this way the objectionable snapping and pounding which is incidental to the ordinary valve, placed in a similar position, is avoided. When the valve is opened to a considerable extent, the function of the check flap is not required and no obstruction is then offered to the free and perfect circulation of steam and condensation. When the valve is tightly closed, the condensation, instead of being retained within the radiator as ordinarily, is permitted, by the operation of the check valve, todrain to the source of supply and when the valve is again opened there is no accumulation of water to meet the incoming rush of steam and produce water hammer.

The device possesses all of the advantages of the ordinary valve now generally used in one pipe steam heating systems, together with additional operative features and it may be employed where the heating medium is operated below atmospheric pressure, However, it is not limited to such uses and will be found applicable to other situations and systems as well.

It is obvious, too, that other embodiments of the invention are possible within the scope of the claims in addition to those herein shown and described.

Adjustment of the screw 25 assumes suflicient friction between the arbor and casing to retain the valve in various positions. A certain amount of resilience in the yoke 24 will obviate necessity for frequent adjustment or" the screw.

lVhat is claimed:

1. A valve for steam systems comprising,

a casing having a steam inlet and a steam outlet port, a valve movable in the casing for and constructed to seat over the outlet port in the direction of steam flow, means to operate the valve, means to hold the valve in various graduated positions, a duct through the valve, and a second valve movable in the casing, and constructed to seat over said duct in the direction of steam fiow yieldable to pressure opposite the direction of steam flow.

2. A valve of the class described, comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet port, a manually operated yoke, an arbor or shaft connected to the yoke and extending within the said casing. an arm connected to the said arbor or shaft within the casing, a clapper valve pivotally connected to the said arm for engagement over the said outlet port, a duct in the said clapper for establishing communication between a radiator and source of steam supply when said clapper is either partially or entirely closed, a gravity seated flap valve normally engaged over the end of the said duct, yieldable to the outfiowing water of condensation, and means to hold the clapper in adjusted positions whereby selection may be made by an operator of a series of graduations of port orifice of the said valve for regulating the quantity of steam to and modulating the heat in the said radiator.

3. A valve of the class. described, comprising a casing having an inlet and an outlet, a valve port eccentric with said outlet coincident with its lower part and forming a valve seat, a lever handle, an arbor connected with the handle and extending within the said casing, a clapper connected to the said arbor operable to engage with said valve seat port for graduating the quantity of steam admitted to said radiator, effecting heat modulation thereby, said clapper having a passage therethrough, and pressure operated means for establishing communication between the outlet of the said radiator and the source of supply through the said passage when the valve is either partially or entirely closed, whereby the water of condensation is permitted to continually drain away, and the entrance of steam in an opposite direction prevented when the valve is normally closed to the same.

{L A valve of the class described, comprlsing a casing having an inlet, an outlet port formed therein having a valve seat presented inward, an arbor revolubly mounted in the casing above the seat, an arm fixed thereon, a clapper on the arm dlsposed to engage said seat, the clapper having a duct therethrough, a flap valve 100 to close said duct pivoted at the back of the clapper and movable therewith, disposed to engage over said duct by action of gravity, and means to rotate the arbor at will for the purposes indicated.

5. In a valve of the class described, a casing, an arbor revolubly engaged through one side of the casing, a seat on the casing around the arbor, and presented outwardly, said arbor having a corresponding portion 110 snugly fitted to the seat, a bifurcated yoke having its arms on opposite sides of the casing, one arm secured to the arbor, a screw stud engaged in the opposite arm and having a conically pointed end set in the' 115 side of the casing for the purpose described and means to operate the yoke.

6. A valve for steam systems comprisinga casing having a steam inlet and steam outlet port, a clapper movable in the casing 120 for and constructed to seat over the said outlet port in the direction of the steam supply, means to operate the clapper, an ordlnate plate on said casing to indicate the various positions of the clapper, a duct 125 through the clapper forming a supplementary communication through the valve passage, a secondary clapper movable in the primary clapper and constructed to seat over the outlet of the said duct in the direction of the steamsupply, automatically yieldable to pressureopnosit o the dimetion of the steam flow! 7. A valve of the class described; com? p i ing a casing: having a valve p ssage, an. i let nd outlet por a manually operated yoke, an arbor atta hed to the yoke, an,

arm connected othe arbor, a clapper pivotally connected o the. steel arm Within the casing" for engagement over the said outlet;

port a. duc through the; said. clapper oom= munieating with thewalvepassages a second gravit seated clapper. normally engaged over the outlet of the said duet,.yie1dab1e to the outflowing Water of condensation 15 WhGIlGVBI" the'valve is either partially or entirely closed, whereby a restriction of port orifice of the said valve is permitted, enabling an operator to graduate the quantity of steam admitted to, and modulate 20 EDWARD 12. .3 15- fn ssee:

WiLLIAM G. Kareem, Giro. Beam.

Copies of this patent may be obtaineejor fiye cents eat '1 by grldregging the Commissioner of Patents,

Wgghlngton, D. 0." 

